On Thursday night I downloaded the free demo levels for the upcoming game Heavenly Sword for PS3. Now that I've played through it a couple of times, I can share my impressions:
The demo is 996MB and is only about half of one level, split over two fighting environments. In the demo you have about 15-20 different combos available to you based off of which stance you choose: Speed, Power, Ranged, or Aeriel.
Aside from a small frame rate issue (reminded me of the same frame rate issue I saw in Shadow Of The Colossus), the game looks like it is going to be a winner. In 1080i the colour resolution, shadow detail, and edges are much improved, but there is still a bit of hash. This could be because this is just a demo and the video is still compressed to save space.
The gameplay itself looks as good as any FMV from a PS2 game.
My impressions of the game are (from a 1-10)
PRESENTATION: 9
The environment for the demo level is immersive and highly detailed.
GRAPHICS: 9
Marred only by the small frame rate issue, the colours are stunning, skeletal animation is amazing, artistic design is great, and facial design is top notch.
SOUND: 9
Great mix, terrific music, and great sound effects. What little voice acting there is on the demo is also very well performed.
GAMEPLAY: 10
NOT an 'X masher' of a game, the combat system is incredibly deep and will probably raise the bar for fighting games hereafter. The combos are reactive and the enemies actually defend themselves against your attacks. You can pick up dropped shields, swords, and even common items like barrels, chairs, and tables, and use them against your enemies.
